Introducing Intercultural Communication

Shuang Liu is Associate Professor in the School of Communication and Arts at the University of Queensland, Australia. She is an internationally recognised intercultural communication expert, specialising in the areas of immigration, acculturation, identity negotiation, particularly in relation to older migrants ageing in a foreign land. Zala Volcic is Senior Lecturer in the School of Media, Film and Journalism at Monash University, Australia. She is an expert in researching in media, digital cultures, nationalism, class, and gender. She has taught at different universities around the world, including Franklin University, Switzerland and Pomona College, USA.  Cindy Gallo is is Emeritus Professor in the School of Psychology at The University of Queensland, Australia. She is an internationally renowned senior researcher in intercultural communication, with a special focus on intergroup communication in health context, impact of communication on quality of care, health service delivery, and health promotion.

1. CHALLENGES OF LIVING IN A GLOBAL SOCIETY
Living in a Global Village
Contributors to Cultural Diversity
The Necessity and Benefits of Intercultural Communication
Summary
Case Study: The Cronulla Riots
2. UNDERSTANDING COMMUNICATION
The Essence of Communication
The Multifaceted Nature of Communication
Models of Communication
Levels of Communication
Communication and Culture
Summary
Case Study: Hanging Out in the Public Square
3. UNDERSTANDING CULTURE
The Pervasive Nature of Culture
Definitions and Components of Culture
Characteristics of Culture
Subcultures
Summary
Case Study: The Roma People in Eastern Europe
4. THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURE ON PERCEPTION
The Nature of Human Perception
Stages of the Perception Process
The Influence of Culture on Perception
Perception and Intercultural Communication
Summary
Case Study: How are Eastern Europeans Perceived by the West?
5. CULTURAL ORIENTATIONS AND BEHAVIOURS
Culture as a Repertoire of Human Behaviours
Dimensions of Culture
Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck′s Value Orientations
Intercultural Communication Ethics
Summary
Case Study: Dinner at a Japanese Home
6. VERBAL COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE
The Power of Language
The Components and Characteristics of Verbal Codes
Language and Perception
Cultural Variations in Verbal Communication
Language and Identity
Summary
Case Study: How Many Languages Still Exist in the World Today?
7. NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE
Universality and Variation of Nonverbal Communication
Characteristics and Functions of Nonverbal Codes
Types of Nonverbal Communication
Influence of Culture on Nonverbal Communication
Summary
Case Study: Yum Cha and Chinese Culture
8. CATEGORIZATION, SUBGROUPS AND IDENTITIES
The Multifaceted Nature of Identities
Social Categorization and Identities
Subgroup Memberships and Different Types of Identities
Identities and Intercultural Communication
Summary
Case Study: History of South African Identity and Apartheid in South Africa
9. DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS WITH CULTURALLY DIFFERENT OTHERS
The Nature of Human Relationships
Dimensions of Human Relationships
Stages of Human Relationship Development
Culture and Human Relationship Development
Developing Intercultural Relationships
Summary
Case Study: Love by Arrangement in India
10. MANAGING INTERCULTURAL CONFLICTS
Pervasiveness of Intercultural Conflicts
Potential Sources of Intercultural Conflict
Stages in the Conflict Process
Conflict Management Styles and Approaches
Influence of Culture on Conflict Management
Summary
Case Study: Violent Conflicts in the Former Yugoslavia
11. MASS MEDIA, TECHNOLOGY, AND CULTURAL CHANGE
The World of the Mass Media
Globalization, Technology, and the Mass Media
The Mass Media and Symbolic Social Reality
The Mass Media and Cultural Change
Summary
Case Study: OhMyNews in South Korea
12. IMMIGRATION AND ACCULTURATION
Immigration and Cultural Diversity
Migration and Globalization
Diversity and Multiculturalism
Acculturation and Culture Shock
Cross-cultural Adaptation
Summary
Case Study: Migration and Diversity in Australia
13. BECOMING AN EFFECTIVE INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATOR
Global and Local Dimensions of Culture
Homogenization and Fragmentation
From Local to Global
From Global to Local
Developing Intercultural Competence
Summary
Case Study: Doctors Without Borders
Glossary